System and method for a vaporizer

ABSTRACT

A method for controlling a vaporizer device may include determining a first temperature, vaporizing an inhalable substance at the first temperature, raising the first temperature by a temperature quantity, wherein a second temperature is a sum of the temperature quantity and the first temperature; and vaporizing the inhalable substance at the second temperature, wherein the temperature quantity is less than 3° C.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 16/703,459 filed Dec. 4, 2019 and titled “Systemand Method for a Vaporizer” and U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/439,094 filed Feb. 21, 2017 and titled “System and Method foraVaporizer”. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/703,459 and U.S.application Ser. No. 15/439,094 are hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD

The present invention relates generally to vaporizers and inhalers.

BACKGROUND

Inhalers and vaporizers are conventionally used for medicinal andrecreational purposes to deliver an inhalable substance in a gaseousform to a user. Vaporizers have been used recreationally with the use ofrecreational substances such as tobacco, hookah, and cannabis.Meanwhile, rescue inhalers have been used by people who have asthma orfor other medical uses. Furthermore, some medicine may be delivered byan inhaler for the treatment of some respiratory diseases.

Generally, vaporizers, hookahs, electronic hookahs, and so-called“e-cigarettes” vaporize an inhalable substance via an electronic heater.The inhalable substance is inserted into the vaporizing unit by numerousmeans. However, the inhalable substance must be frequently refilled,which can be frustrating for users seeking to enjoy or benefit from theinhaled substance. Thus, there is a need in the art for a method,system, or device for convenient replacement of the inhalable substanceinto a vaporizer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate an exterior view of a vaporizer deviceaccording to an exemplary embodiment.

FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C illustrate a projection view of the vaporizerdevice according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate a conveyor belt and a replaceable strip foruse in the vaporizer device according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate cartridges in the replaceable strip accordingto an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 5 illustrates a method for moving a conveyer belt included withinthe vaporizer device.

FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate a molded mouthpiece base according to anexemplary embodiment.

FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate a mouthpiece portion according to anexemplary embodiment.

FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 8C illustrate the mouthpiece portion and mouthpiecebase connected to the vaporizer device according to an exemplaryembodiment.

FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate a replaceable strip having a continuous bandof inhalable substance according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 10 illustrates a method for incrementally increasing a vaporizationtemperature according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 11 illustrates a method for indexing a value to track a number ofdoses according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 12 illustrates a graphical user interface displaying informationabout the vaporizer device according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 13 illustrates a graphical user interface displaying informationabout use of the vaporizer device according to an exemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

While this invention is susceptible of an embodiment in many differentforms, there are shown in the drawings and will be described herein indetail specific embodiments thereof with the understanding that thepresent disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of theprinciples of the invention. It is not intended to limit the inventionto the specific illustrated embodiments.

Embodiments disclosed herein include an improved vaporizer device usinga replaceable strip comprising either a plurality of dosage-controlledinhalable substance cartridges or a continuous band of inhalablesubstance disposed on a substrate comprising the replaceable strip. Thecartridge sizes may contain enough inhalable substance for a single doseor multiple doses. The replaceable strip may attach to a movableconveyor belt system that rotates the replaceable strip along theconveyor belt and towards a heating unit, such as a heating coil, LED,or electric vaporizing unit, whereby the inhalable substance isvaporized to generate a gaseous version of the inhalable substance, suchas tobacco vapor, cannabis vapor, atomized medicine, or other substancescapable of being vaporized. The amount that the conveyor belt movesbetween inhalations may be based on the size of the cartridges or thesize of the heating unit.

According to some embodiments, systems and methods can further comprisea flip-top mouthpiece connected to the vaporizer device. The flip-topmouthpiece may comprise a mouthpiece base, a mouthpiece portion, and agasket. The mouthpiece base may snap into the vaporizer device, or themouthpiece may connect to the vaporizer device by a hinge or similartypes of apparatuses. The mouthpiece portion may form-fit into a hollowportion of the mouthpiece base. In addition, the gasket may create anairflow channel between the mouthpiece portion and the vaporizer device.The airflow channel created by the mouthpiece portion and the gasket mayconnect airflow tubing within the vaporizer device to a hollow tubewithin the mouthpiece portion thereby allowing air to flow from theairflow tubing within the vaporizer device out of the vaporizer device.This airflow channel allows a user to inhale a vaporized substance. Themouthpiece base may rotate such that no airflow occurs out of thevaporizer when the mouthpiece is positioned in a downward position butairflow may occur when the mouthpiece is positioned in an upwardposition. The gasket may engage the mouthpiece body when the mouthpieceis positioned in the downward position to create a seal that preventsair, odors, or vaporized substance from escaping from within thevaporizer device.

In yet another embodiment, the vaporizer device may increase avaporizing temperature by a predetermined number of degrees, such as,for example, 1.5° C. or any temperature less than approximately 3° C.,after every use or “pull” of the vaporizer device or according to someother predetermined method, such as after every rotation of the conveyorbelt, every time the vaporizer device senses that airflow has ceased, orby a subsequent push of a button that activates a heating unit. As usedherein, a “pull” of the vaporizer device may occur when a user inhalesair through the vaporizer device to inhale the inhalable substance. Apull may also describe a dose or portion inhaled or when a vaporizervaporizes the inhaled substance for a predetermined period of time.

FIG. 1A illustrates an exterior view of a vaporizer device 100 accordingto any exemplary embodiment. The vaporizer device 100 includes aplurality of removable doors 102, 104 connected to a middle structure106, which may be in the form of an I-beam. The middle structure 106 mayhouse the internal, non-removable components, such as a processor, atoggle switch, a heating unit, airflow tubes, and a temperature switch.

The doors 102, 104 may or may not be easily removed to replace certaincomponents in the vaporizer 100. The doors 102, 104 may connect to themiddle structure 106 through any mechanical method, such as snaps,prongs, or magnets. One of the doors 102 or 104 may open to reveal aconveyor belt (not shown). The conveyor belt may be stationary orremovable. In a preferred embodiment, the conveyor belt is removablefrom the vaporizer device 100 so that a user can easily load strips ontothe conveyor belt. Another door 102 or 104 may reveal or include abattery (not shown). The second door 102 or 104 may be omitted if thebattery is rechargeable and not replaceable. The battery may beremovable for recharging or replacement. The vaporizer device 100 mayfurther comprise a wire port (not shown), such as, for example, a USBport or a similar type of port, to receive power and recharge thebattery. In some embodiments, the battery is not rechargeable, and thewire port may be omitted if the battery is not rechargeable. Accordingto an exemplary embodiment, the wire or USB port may also connect to acomputer to configure the processor of the vaporizer device 100. In yetanother embodiment, the battery is omitted, and the vaporizer devicereceives power from a wall outlet. In some embodiments, the battery is asuper capacitor or an organic super capacitor. The second door 102 or104 may reveal other internal components, such as the airflow tubes,which may be removed for cleaning. FIG. 1B illustrates the doors 102,104 being separated from the middle structure 106.

FIG. 2A illustrates a projection view of the vaporizer device 100 toillustrate the internal components of the vaporizer device 100. Theinternal components may comprise a processor 202, a battery 204, aninterior frame 206, a toggle switch 208, a heating unit 210, a conveyorbelt 212, airflow tubing 214, and a temperature switch 216.

The processor 202 may control the heating temperature at which theheating unit 100 vaporizes an inhalable substance. The processor 202 mayfurther control the movements of the conveyor belt 212. For example, theprocessor 202 may lock the conveyor belt 212 in place until the heatingunit 210 has vaporized the inhalable substance.

The processor 202 may control the conveyor belt 212 according to one ofa plurality of different methods. For example, the processor 202 may beprogrammed to detect how many doses or “pulls” are associated with acartridge of an inhalable substance strip. For example, each cartridgemay comprise a single pull or dose, or each cartridge may comprisemultiple doses or pulls. The number of pulls or doses per cartridge maybe set by the manufacturer of the cartridge strip, by the manufacturerof the vaporizer device, or set by the user as a configurationparameter. The processor 202 may index and keep track of the number ofpulls that have occurred per cartridge. The indexed number may reseteach time the conveyor belt 212 moves to place a new cartridge adjacentto the heating unit or whenever the processor 202 detects that cartridgehas been used up.

FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary method 1100 for tracking the number ofdoses or pulls remaining for a cartridge or portion of the continuousband. In step 1102, the processor 202 determines a number of pulls ordoses associated with each cartridge or portion of the continuous band.In step 1104, the processor 202 activates the heating unit 210 tovaporize the inhalable substance. In step 1106, the processor 202indexes a value that counts the number of doses or pulls performed bythe user for a specific cartridge or portion of the continuous band. Instep 1008, the processor 202 determines whether the indexed value isequal to the predetermined number of pulls or doses. If the indexedvalue is less than the predetermined number, the processor 202 movesback to step 1104 to activate the heating unit 210 to again vaporize thecartridge or portion of the continuous band. If the processor 202determines that the indexed value is not less than the predeterminedvalue, the processor 202 activates the conveyor belt 212 in step 1110and resets the indexed value to zero in step 1112.

For example, if each cartridge contains two doses (e.g. approximately acartridge that is 2 mm thick in size), the processor 202 would determineif the user has inhaled twice and restrict movement of the conveyor belt212 until the processor 202 has counted two pulls. Once the processor202 detects that the conveyer belt 212 has positioned a new cartridgeadjacent to the heating unit 210, the index value would be reset to 0.In another embodiment, the vaporizer device 100 may include sensors todetermine if any inhalable substance remains in a cartridge or at apoint in a continuous strip. The sensor may determine the existence ofinhalable substance in a cartridge according to any known sensorconfiguration, such as e.g. an optical sensor, heat sensor, or infraredsensor. In yet another embodiment, the replaceable strip is not dividedinto cartridges but comprises a continuous band of the inhalablesubstance (FIG. 3B). In the continuous band embodiment, the processor202 may operate in a manner similar to the cartridge embodiment but themovement of the conveyor belt 212 may differ slightly as the entirelength of the replaceable strip comprises the inhalable substance. Inthis continuous band embodiment, the conveyor belt 212 may move insmaller increments. The continuous band embodiment may also indexinhales by the user.

The processor 202 may further control the activation of the heating unit210. The processor 202 may detect when a user wants to activate theheating unit 100 by determining if a physical button or switch has beenactivated by a user. In another embodiment, the vaporizer device 100 maycomprise an airflow sensor to determine if air is flowing at apredetermined rate through the airflow tubing 214, which would indicatethat a user is attempting to inhale or pull air through the vaporizerdevice 100. When the airflow sensor detects airflow, the airflow sensorcan send a signal to the processor 202 indicating that the user isattempting to inhale the inhalable substance. In response to thissignal, the processor 202 may activate the heating unit 210 to beginvaporizing the inhalable substance. Thus, in this embodiment, thevaporizer device 100 can automatically activate the heating unit 210 inresponse to the user pulling air through the vaporizer device 100. Theprocessor 202 may activate the heating unit 210 for a predeterminedperiod of time (e.g. 3 seconds) or as long as the airflow sensor isdetecting airflow.

Although not illustrated in FIG. 2A, the vaporizer device 100 mayfurther comprise a display unit. The display unit may display aplurality of information to the user about the vaporizer device 100,such as, for example, a vaporizing temperature, remaining fullcartridges, number of pulls remaining on a cartridge, percentage ofmaterial remaining in the cartridge, and battery power level.

The vaporizer device 100 also includes a toggle mouthpiece 208 that maytoggle to restrict or engage airflow. The toggle mouthpiece may furthercomprise the mouthpiece design described below with reference to FIGS.6-8. As shown in FIG. 2B, the toggling mouthpiece 208 may rotate betweena first position and a second position. When in the first position (i.e.the closed position) (FIG. 2B), the toggle mouthpiece 208 may blockairflow through the airflow tubing 214 because the airflow tubing 214 isblocked by the housing of the vaporizer device 100. When in the secondposition (i.e. the open position) (FIG. 2C), the user may inhale airthrough the airflow tubing 214 because the airflow tubing 214 isexposed.

FIG. 2A illustrates the temperature switch 216 as having three settings,but the vaporizer device 100 may comprise more or fewer temperaturesettings.

The temperature switch 216 (or dial, or digital setting) allows a userto quickly switch between temperature settings at which the heating unit210 vaporizes the inhalable substance. For example, in a first setting,the heating unit 210 may sublimate or extract or vaporize the inhalablesubstance at a temperature higher than a second setting. The temperatureat which the heating unit 210 vaporizes the inhalable substance may beconfigured and adjusted by a user through an external softwareapplication, such as a mobile application executed by a mobile device,such as a smart phone. The external software application may allow auser to select a specific vaporizing temperature for each setting. Forexample, in the exemplary three setting embodiment, a user may set thefirst setting to cause the heating unit 210 to sublimate or extract orvaporize at 380° F., set the second setting to cause the heating unit210 to sublimate or extract or vaporize at 340° F., and set the thirdsetting to cause the heating unit 210 to vaporize or extract orsublimate at 280° F. From here on, the exemplary embodiments will onlydescribe the vaporizer device 100 as vaporizing an inhalable substance,but it is assumed that the vaporizer device 100 can sublimate, extract,or perform any other action on the inhalable substance to transform theinhalable substance into a gaseous form. The different temperaturesettings may also correspond to different vaporizing temperatures fordifferent inhalable substances (e.g. the first temperature setting isfor tobacco, the second temperature setting is for hookah, and the thirdtemperature setting is for cannabis).

FIG. 12 illustrates a first graphical user interface (GUI) 1210 of theexternal software application presented on the mobile device 1200. Asshown in FIG. 12, the mobile device 1202 can connect to the vaporizerdevice 100 via a wired (e.g. USB) or wireless (e.g. WiFi or Bluetooth)connection 1220. When the mobile device 1200 connects to the vaporizerdevice 100, the mobile device 1200 can display information about thevaporizer device 100 using the external software application via GUls,such as the first GUI 1210. While the external software application isillustrated on the mobile device 1200, the external software applicationcan also be executed on a PC or any other electronic equipment.

As illustrated in FIG. 12 according to an exemplary embodiment, thefirst GUI 1210 may include a battery display portion 1212, a settingsportion 1214, and a presets portion 1216.

The battery display portion 1212 displays a battery percentage for thevaporizer device 100. The battery display portion 1212 may illustratethe battery percentage using different colors depending on the batterypercentage. The battery display portion 1212 may also illustrate a timeremaining for a current battery charge (e.g. FIG.12 illustrates that thebattery has 12 hours remaining).

The settings portion 1214 may include three adjustable configurationbars for each mode. The configuration bars may correspond to avaporizing temperature. For example, a user may slide a slider along theconfiguration bars to change a vaporization temperature for threedifferent modes. The slider may slide to any temperature between 250° C.and 450° C.

Finally the presets portion 1216 may include one or more (e.g. FIG. 12illustrates four presets) presets for the temperatureconfigurations(e.g. FIG. 12 illustrates four presets). By merelyinteracting with one of the preset buttons, the external softwareapplication may automatically move the sliders on the configuration barsin the settings portion 1214 to preset temperatures.

FIG. 13 illustrates a second GUI 1310 of the external softwareapplication presented on the mobile device 1200. The second GUI 1310 mayinclude a date portion 1312, a usage statistics portion 1314, a usagethresholds slider 1316, and a usage graph 1318. These statistics may beused by a medical professional to accurately track history and use ofthe vaporizer device 100 by a patient.

The data portion 1312 allows a user or medical professional to select adate or timeframe to analyze use of the vaporizer device 100. The useror medical professional can select a single date or multiple dates toselect a timeframe. The date portion 1312 may also include minutes andhours selection for a more granular analysis.

The usage statistics portion 1314 may display a dosage averagepercentage. The usage statistics portion 1314 may also display minimumand maximum usage percentages as set by the usage threshold slider 1316.The minimum and maximum usage percentages may corresponding to a medicalprofessional's prescription.

The usage threshold slider 1316 may display the minimum and maximumusage percentages as vertical bars and also the average usage percentageas a slider on the bar.

Finally, the usage graph 1318 displays usage over a timeframe. Forexample, the usage graph 1318 may plot the average usage percentage overa timeframe (e.g. 30 days).

The mobile application may upload these configurations to the vaporizerdevice 100 through a wired or wireless connection. In a wiredembodiment, the vaporizer device 100 may include a wire port, such as aUSB port, to receive instructions from the mobile application.Alternatively or additionally, the vaporizer device 100 may include awireless transceiver, such as a Bluetooth transceiver, Zigsbeetransceiver, WiFi transceiver, NFC transceiver, or any other wirelesstransceiver, and the vaporizer device 100 may receive temperaturesettings wirelessly over a paired Bluetooth connection or any otherwireless connection. In yet another embodiment, a user may selecttemperature parameters on a website, and the vaporizer device 100 mayreceive the temperature parameters from a server over the Internet usinga wireless network transceiver, such as a WiFi chip. The mobileapplication may also connect to a cloud that saves preferences, datarelated to use of the vaporizer device 100, or any other data. Users anddoctors may access this cloud via different credentials.

In some embodiments, the vaporizer device 100 may come pre-configuredand the vaporizing temperature associated with each mode may not beconfigurable by a user.

Upon receiving the temperature settings according to any knowncommunication method, the processor 202 stores the temperature settingson computer readable medium. The processor 202 may determine which modeto vaporize the inhalable substance by determining a position of thetemperature switch 216. The physical switch 216 may be omitted andreplaced with digital settings that are reported on a display. Based onthe temperature switch's 216 position or digital settings, the processor202 instructs the heating unit 210 to heat at the temperature selectedby the user.

The heating unit 210 may be any convection heater, such as a heatingcoil. In another exemplary embodiment, the heating unit 210 may be alaser emitting diode or a light emitting diode (“LED”). The temperaturegenerated by the heating unit 210 may increase by sending more currentthrough the heating unit 210. The amount of current flowing through theheating unit 210 may be controlled by the processor 202. The amount ofcurrent necessary to heat the heating unit 210 to each selectabletemperature may be saved in a look-up table in computer-readable memory,and the processor 202 may reference the look-up table before commandingthe heating unit 210.

When activated, the heating unit 210 generates heat adjacent to acartridge or strip having the inhalable substance. The heat generated bythe heating unit 210 vaporizes the inhalable substance. A user inhalesair through the vaporizer device 100, thereby moving air past thevaporized inhalable substance and through the airflow tubing 214 to thetoggle mouthpiece 208 where the user is inhaling. The inhaled air withthe vaporized inhalable substance is thereby delivered to the user.

The conveyor belt 212 may be controlled by a manual switch or by theprocessor 202. In either embodiment, the conveyor belt 212 movement maybe controlled by a conveyor belt control. The conveyor belt control mayrestrict movement of the conveyor belt 212 to only one direction.Furthermore, the conveyor belt control may restrict the amount ofmovement so that a cartridge or unvaporized portion of the continuousband is always properly placed adjacent to the heating unit 210 foroptimal vaporization. If the conveyor belt 212 is moved manually, theconvertor belt control may indicate proper placement of a cartridge witha click or by restricting movement past a position adjacent to theheating unit 210. The conveyor belt control may allow movement of theconveyor belt 212 only after a cartridge has been exhausted.

Referring to FIG. 3A and 3B, the conveyor belt 212 is illustrated. Asshown in FIG. 3A, a replaceable strip 320 may comprise a plurality ofcartridges 322, and each cartridge comprises inhalable substance. Asshown in FIG. 3B, the replaceable strip 320 may comprise a continuousband 324 of inhalable substance. The replaceable strip 320 may comprisea substrate on which either the cartridges 322 or the continuous band324 are disposed.

The processor 202 may control an electric motor connected to gears 318A,318B controlling movement of the conveyor belt 212 to move the conveyorbelt automatically. In either embodiment, an LED may provide feedbackindicating whether a cartridge 322 is in place adjacent to the heatingunit 210. The LED may also provide feedback indicating whether anunvaporized portion of the continuous band 324 is in place adjacent tothe heating unit 210. For example, the LED may be red or off when thecartridge 322 or unvaporized portion is not positioned adjacent to theheating unit 210, and the LED may be blue or green when the cartridge322 or unvaporized portion is positioned adjacent to the heating unit210. The processor 202 may control the conveyor belt 212 based on thereading of sensors or using the indexing technique described above. Theprocessor 202 may command the electric motor to move the conveyor belt212 to position the replaceable strip 320 such that an unused cartridge322 is adjacent to the heating unit 210 in response to user input, suchas pressing a button, or automatically after detection of an exhaustedcartridge 322. The amount the conveyor belt 312 moves may be uniformbased on a uniform cartridge and cartridge strip size or based on thesize of the heating unit 210.

The conveyor belt 212 may include two toothed cogs 318A, 318B and a belt319 forming the conveyor belt 212. The belt 319 may wrap around thetoothed cogs 318A, 318B and rotate around the cogs 318A, 318B accordingto the movement of the cogs 318A, 318B. The cogs 318A, 318B may berestricted from moving by the conveyor belt control, and the cogs 318A,318B may move in response to the manual switch or an electric motorconnected to at least one of the cogs 318A, 318B.

The belt 319 may include connectors 326 that hold the replaceable strip320 on the belt 319. The connectors 326 may comprise any mechanicalconnection means such as slits that receive ends of the replaceablestrip, clips, protrusions that snap into holes on the replaceable strip320, Velcro, or any other connection means for temporarily fixing thereplaceable strip 320 to the belt 319. When connected, the replaceablestrip 320 moves with the movement of the belt 319.

Referring now to FIG. 4A, multiple replaceable strips 320 may alsoconnect to each other around the belt 319. The replaceable strip 320 maybe flexible to wrap around the cogs 318A, 318B of the conveyor belt 312and follow the belt 319. In the cartridge embodiment, the cartridges 322may also be flexible to wrap with the replaceable strip 320. In thecontinuous band 326 embodiment (FIG. 4B), the continuous band 326 mayalso be flexible to wrap with the replaceable strip 320.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the replaceable strip 320 mayinclude any number of cartridges 322, although FIG. 4A illustrates eightcartridges. Each cartridge 322 may hold a vacuum-packed serving of theinhalable substance, such as tobacco. Before inserting the replaceablestrip 320 into the vaporizer device 100, a user may peel a vacuum-packedplastic off the replaceable strip 320. The inhalable substance may beheld in place within the replaceable strip 320 by one or more prongs ortabs. The tabs or prongs may engage the inhalable substance in a solidform to hold the inhalable substance in the replaceable strip 320 as thereplaceable strip 320 moves with the movements of the conveyor belt 212.The cartridges 322 may hold the inhalable substance in ground form, leafform, or gel form, but the cartridges 322 is not limited to only theseforms.

The user can replace a used replaceable strip 320 by opening the door102, 104 and replacing a used replaceable strip 320 with a fullreplaceable strip 320. The user can also replace multiple replaceablestrips 320 by removing the conveyor belt 212 and replacing multiple usedreplaceable strips 320. The processor 202 can provide indication whenthe replaceable strip 320 is ready to be replaced via an illuminated LEDor an LCD display.

FIG. 5 illustrates a method 500 for controlling the conveyor controlsystem. The method 500 begins with step 502 with the processor 202determining if the conveyor belt door 102, 104 is closed. If the door102, 104 is open, the processor 202 restricts current to flow throughthe heating unit 210 and restricts movement of the conveyor belt 212 instep 504. If the door 102, 104 is closed, the processor 202 allows theconveyor belt motor (or manual switch) to move the conveyor belt 212 toposition a cartridge 322 or unvaporized portion of the continuous band324 adjacent to the heating unit 210 in step 506. The distance to movethe conveyor belt 312 may be fixed and predetermined based on a size ofthe cartridges 322 or the heating unit 210. In step 508, the processor202 determines whether the cartridge 322 or unvaporized portion of thecontinuous band 324 is in place adjacent to the heating unit 210. If thecartridge or unvaporized portion of the continuous band 324 is notadjacent to the heating unit 210, the processor 202 returns to step 506and allows movement of the conveyor belt 212. Once the conveyor belt 212moves the predetermined distance, the processor 202 commands theconveyor belt control to restrict movement of the conveyor belt 212 instep 510. In step 512, the processor 202 then determines whether a userdesires to inhale the inhalable substance, such as by detecting airflowor detecting the activation of a button. When airflow is detected, theprocessor engages the heating unit 210 to vaporize the inhalablesubstance in step 514. A number of pulls or doses per cartridge 322 orportion of the continuous band 324 may also be predetermined in step516. The processor 202 counts a number of times the user has pulled orinhaled from a single cartridge or portion of the continuous band 324.The processor 202 determines if the user has inhaled or pulled thepredetermined number of times per cartridge 322 or portion of thecontinuous band 324, and if the user has inhaled the predeterminednumber of times, the processor 202 engages the conveyor belt control toallow movement of the conveyor belt 212 in step 518. If the user has notinhaled the predetermined number of times, the processor 202 returns tostep 512 and again determines whether the user is inhaling. This stepmay include the processor 202 commanding the motor to move the conveyorbelt 212 the predetermined distance.

The processor 202 may interact with computer-readable memory to savedata regarding how the vaporizer device 100 has functioned to determineuser preferences and also to help in medical charting or diagnosis. Theprocessor 202 may save in the memory the number of times the vaporizerdevice 100 has been used, the number of cartridges 322 vaporized, thenumber of doses vaporized, the types of inhalable substances vaporized,the heating conditions and temperatures used to vaporize the inhalablesubstances, or any other data that might be relevant and tracked by theprocessor 202. The information saved to the memory may be uploaded toanother computer or a server, such as a medical computer terminal usedby doctors to track patient data. A doctor may reference, for example,the number of doses inhaled by a patient over time, and consult with thepatient to see if a medical condition has improved. For example, thedoctor may determine whether pain has decreased as a result of a certaindosage of a prescribed inhalable substance. The doctor may use thisinformation to chart additional patient data, make a determinationwhether to increase or decrease the dosage, or prescribe a differentinhalable substance. A user may also download this information to apersonal device, for example through the mobile application, to viewstatistics on the substances vaporized by the vaporizer device. Forexample, the user can determine what types of inhalable substances aremost frequently vaporized, the average temperature used forvaporization, most popular vaporization temperature, the number of dosesor cartridges 322 inhaled over the life of the vaporizer device 100, orany other data.

FIGS. 6-8 illustrate a mouthpiece 600 for the vaporization unit 100.FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrates a mouthpiece base 602. The mouthpiece base602 may be molded from quality, healthy, or medical grade materials. Themouthpiece base 602 may be hollow to receive a mouthpiece portion 710(FIG. 7B). The mouthpiece base 602 also includes a hole 604 where agasket may protrude through the mouthpiece base 602 to engage themouthpiece portion 710. Furthermore, the mouthpiece base 602 may includetabs 606A, 606B that engage the vaporizer device. The tabs 606A, 606Bare notches that fit within indents in the vaporizer device 100. Themouthpiece base 602 may rotate substantially 90° about the tabs 606A,606B. In other embodiments, the tabs 606A, 606B are replaced by a hinge.In either embodiment, the mouthpiece 600 rotates to close airflowthrough the mouthpiece 600 and prevent odors from escaping the vaporizerdevice 100.

FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate the mouthpiece portion 710 that is insertedinto the mouthpiece base 602. The mouthpiece portion 710 may be taperedto form-fit into the mouth piece base. The mouthpiece portion 710 maycomprise a bulbous bottom portion to engage with the gasket. Themouthpiece portion 710 may comprise stainless steel, plastic, rubber,ceramic, glass, or any other well-known substance. The mouthpieceportion may include a tube 712 that forms a hollow portion from a topportion of the mouthpiece portion 710 to a hole 714 in the bottom of themouthpiece portion 710. Vapor from the vaporizer device 100 may beinhaled by the user through the tube 712.

FIG. 8A illustrates the mouthpiece portion 710 engaging and fittingwithin the mouthpiece base 602. The mouthpiece 600 includes a tube 712that extends the length of the mouthpiece 600.

FIG. 8B illustrates the mouthpiece portion 710 inserted into themouthpiece base 602 and engaging the gasket 820. The gasket 820 sealsthe mouthpiece 600 to the airflow tubing 214 of the vaporizer device100. Vaporized substance may flow through the airflow tubing 214,through the gasket 820, and through the tube 712 of the mouthpiece toallow a user to inhale the inhalable substance when the mouthpiece base602 and the mouthpiece portion 710 are positioned in the uprightposition.

As shown in FIG. 8C, the entire mouthpiece 600 may rotate together torestrict or engage airflow through the mouthpiece 600. When in thedownward position, air, vapor, inhalable material, or odors do not leavethe vaporizer device 100. When in the upward position, a user may inhaleair and the inhalable substance from the vaporizer device 100. Inanother embodiment, a hole 604 at the bottom of the mouthpiece portion602 swings to match with the airflow tubing 214. When in the downwardposition, the airflow tubing 214 may be blocked by the gasket 820 andthe mouthpiece 21 base 602 to prevent air and odors from escaping thevaporizer device 100. As additional protection, the mouthpiece portion710 may engage a housing 830 of the vaporizer device to also prevent airand odors from escaping the vaporizer device 100.

FIG. 9A again illustrates a replaceable strip 320 including a continuousband 324. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9A, the continuous band 324may not extend the entire length of the replaceable strip. Thecontinuous band 324 comprises inhalable substance, and the continuousband 324 of the inhalable substance is disposed on a substratecomprising the replaceable strip 320. FIG. 9B illustrates that aplurality of replaceable strips 320 may be contained within a container950 and sold in packs.

The vaporizer device 100 also includes an incremental temperatureraising program. The incremental temperature raising program mayvaporize an inhalable substance at a first temperature for during afirst inhale or “hit”, which may vaporize the inhalable substance at apre-set temperature. If some of the inhalable substance remains in thevaporizer device, the processor 202 raises the vaporizing temperature bya predetermined amount, such as e.g. 1.5-2° C. Raising the vaporizingtemperature by a relatively small amount on an inhalable substance thathas been previously vaporized completely extracts the flavor or desiredingredient in subsequent hits. So, during a second hit, the heating unit210 heats the remaining inhalable substance at the raised temperaturevalue. For example, the first vaporizing temperature may be 330° F., andthe second vaporizing temperature may be 332.7° F.

The predetermined temperature increase may be configured by a user, forexample using the mobile application described above. The user may alsoconfigure the number of times the temperature increases (such as onlyafter the first and second hits, or indefinitely).

The incremental temperature increase program may occur in the cartridgeembodiment described above or in vaporizer devices that receiveinhalable substances according to other methods. The incrementaltemperature increase program may apply to any vaporizer.

FIG. 10 illustrates a method 1000 for an incremental temperatureincrease program. The method 1000 begins by vaporizing the inhalablesubstance at a predetermined temperature at step 1002. The predeterminedtemperature may be set by a user through the mobile application. Theprocessor 202 may determine the predetermined temperature and generatean activate first temperature command that commands the heating unit tovaporize the inhalable substance at the predetermined temperature.

Next, the processor 202 raises the vaporizing temperature by apredetermined amount (such as e.g. 1.5-2° C.) in step 1004, andvaporizes the inhalable substance at the raised temperature in step1006. The processor 202 may determine the raised temperature andgenerate an activate second temperature command that commands theheating unit to vaporize the inhalable substance at the raisedtemperature.

After vaporizing the inhalable substance at the raised temperature, theprocessor 202 determines if any inhalable substance remains in step1008, such as by the indexing process described above or using anysensors. If no inhalable substance remains, the process restarts at step1002 when more inhalable substance is ready to be vaporized or theconveyor belt 212 moves to position an unused cartridge 322 adjacent tothe heating unit 210. If some inhalable substance remains, the processor202 determines if it should raise the temperature by the predeterminedamount again or remain at the same temperature in step 2014. Thisdetermination may depend on preferences of the user. The processor 202will vaporize the remaining inhalable substance at the raisedtemperature of the same temperature depending on the user preferences ora preset temperature, which may be saved in memory. The user maydetermine the raised temperature amount in increments of e.g. 0.1° C.

Although a few embodiments have been described in detail above, othermodifications are possible. For example, the logic flows described abovedo not require the particular order described, or sequential order, toachieve desirable results. Other steps may be provided, or steps may beeliminated, from the described flows, and other components may be addedto, or removed from, the described systems. Other embodiments may bewithin the scope of the invention.

From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous variations andmodifications may be effected without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention. It is to be understood that no limitation withrespect to the specific system or method described herein is intended orshould be inferred. It is, of course, intended to cover all suchmodifications as fall within the sprit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A vaporizer device comprising: airflow tubing configured to deliver a gaseous substance to a user; a mouthpiece base configured to rotate between a first position and a second position; and a mouthpiece portion configured to couple to the mouthpiece base, wherein the mouthpiece base prevents the gaseous substance from escaping the airflow tubing in the first position and the mouthpiece base allows the gaseous substance to escape the airflow tubing in the second position.
 2. The vaporizer device of claim 1 further comprising a housing.
 3. The vaporizer device of claim 2 wherein the mouthpiece base is coupled to the housing.
 4. The vaporizer device of claim 3 wherein the mouthpiece base is coupled to the housing through tabs that fit within indents in the housing.
 5. The vaporizer device of claim 3 wherein the mouthpiece base is coupled to the housing via a hinge.
 6. The vaporizer device of claim 1 further comprising a gasket coupled between the mouthpiece base and the airflow tubing.
 7. The vaporizer device of claim 6 wherein the mouthpiece base engages the gasket in the first position to prevent the gaseous substance from escaping the airflow tubing.
 8. The vaporizer device of claim 6, wherein the mouthpiece base includes a hole, and wherein the gasket protrudes through the hole when the mouthpiece base is in the second position.
 9. The vaporizer device of claim 8, wherein the mouthpiece portion includes a tube extending through the mouthpiece portion, and wherein the tube engages the gasket to allow the gaseous substance to flow through the airflow tubing, the gasket, and the tube to deliver the gaseous substance to the user.
 10. The vaporizer device of claim 1 wherein the mouthpiece base comprises a bulbous bottom portion.
 11. The vaporizer device of claim 10 wherein the mouthpiece portion is tapered to form-fit into the mouth piece base.
 12. The vaporizer device of claim 2 wherein the mouthpiece portion engages the housing in the first position, and wherein the mouthpiece base and mouthpiece portion are positioned upward from the housing in the second position.
 13. The vaporizer device of claim 1 wherein the mouthpiece base rotates substantially 90° from the first position to the second position.
 14. A vaporizer device comprising: a housing; airflow tubing within the housing configured to deliver a gaseous substance to a user; a mouthpiece coupled to the housing and configured to rotate between a first position and a second position; and wherein the mouthpiece prevents the gaseous substance from escaping the airflow tubing in the first position and the mouthpiece allows the gaseous substance to escape the airflow tubing in the second position.
 15. The vaporizer device of claim 14 wherein the mouthpiece fits within a slot of the housing when in the mouthpiece is in the first position.
 16. The vaporizer device of claim 15 wherein the mouthpiece also engages the housing in the first position to prevent the gaseous substance from escaping the airflow tubing or the mouthpiece.
 17. The vaporizer device of claim 14 further comprising a gasket coupled to the airflow tubing and configured to seal a tube within the mouthpiece in the second position and engage a side of the mouthpiece in the first position, thereby blocking the gaseous substance from escaping the airflow tubing.
 18. A vaporizer device comprising: a gasket; airflow tubing coupled to the gasket and configured to deliver a gaseous substance to a user; a mouthpiece having a tube that extends through the mouthpiece, wherein the mouthpiece is configured to rotate between a first position and a second position; and wherein the mouthpiece prevents the gaseous substance from escaping the airflow tubing in the first position by the gasket engaging a side of the mouthpiece, and wherein the mouthpiece allows the gaseous substance to escape the airflow tubing in the second position by the gasket creating a seal with the tube.
 19. The vaporizer device of claim 18 wherein the mouthpiece comprises a mouthpiece base coupled to the housing and a mouthpiece portion coupled to the mouthpiece base.
 20. The vaporizer device of claim 19 wherein the mouthpiece base comprises a bulbous bottom portion and the mouthpiece portion is tapered to form-fit into the mouth piece base. 